Stress—
It’s something that most of us accept as an unavoidable part of life, something to manage, push through, or just deal with.
On the other hand—what if the very idea of managing and putting up with stress is actually making things worse?
Let's take a look at what neuroscience reveals about the true cost of stress—not just on your body and mind, even on your wallet.
Yes, your wallet!
Let’s be honest—that’s usually the first thing to grab our attention—If only we gave as much attention to our well-being as we do about our bank balance!
The reality is—stress is sneaky.
It doesn’t just steal your peace of mind —it hijacks your health, slashes productivity, and racks up medical bills and empties your wallet faster than you can say "co-pay."
On the other hand—
Neuroscience Has Good News
Neuroscience shows that shifting from just putting up with stress to recognizing and avoiding it can be a total game-changer.
Not only can it save you money—there's that important money word again—even more crucially, it can save your health—and your life.
Let’s dive in and explore how small shifts can lead to big, lasting, life-saving—and yes, money-saving—changes.
Money on the brain
If you're someone who easily gets bored by research and statistics, that's perfectly fine!
While we include them for those who relish the details, you’re free to skip over them.
You can click here to go immediately to "The True Costs of Stress Are Not Only Dollars and Cents" and keep moving forward without missing a beat.
The Cost of Stress-Related Health Issues
Stress-related physical health issues impose a significant financial cost to society.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 90% of the United States' $4.5 trillion annual healthcare expenditures are for individuals with chronic and mental health conditions---many of which are stress-induced. cdc.gov
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) alone accounts for an estimated $232.2 billion in economic costs, with an average cost of $19,630 per affected individual.
Furthermore, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which contribute to lifelong stress-related health issues, result in an annual economic cost of $14.1 trillion, including $183 billion in direct medical costs.
Additionally, the rising cost of mental health care exacerbates the financial strain on families. Nearly one in four individuals live with a mental health condition, and the expenses associated with treatment have increased by almost a third from 2017 to 2021, and continue to increase. This surge in costs often forces families to accumulate debt or discontinue necessary treatment due to financial constraints. parents.com
These statistics underscore the pervasive and costly impact of stress on both individuals and the broader economy.
The True Costs of Stress Are Not Only Dollars and Cents
Stress isn’t only about dollars and cents—it is about how you feel in your body and mind.
While both acute and chronic stress can have significant effects, their impacts differ greatly.
If you recall from Module 1—
Real Tiger Acute Stress is immediate, high-intensity, and short-term—it quickly returns to normal once the threat passes.
Your body is designed to handle the Real Tiger short-term stress without long-term damage.
Real Tiger Acute Stress
Imaginary Tiger Chronic Stress
On the other hand—Chronic Stress "Imaginary Tigers" are triggered by perceived threats that show up in the form of a persistent, ongoing state of stress that lingers, continually looms in the background, and slowly wears you down over days, weeks, or even years.
Your body is NOT designed to handle the "Imaginary Tiger" long-term stress without long-term damage.
The True Costs of Stress on the Brain and Body
According to neuroscience, stress rewires the brain—and not in a good way.
Chronic stress strengthens neural pathways associated with fear, anxiety, and negative thinking while weakening those related to logical decision-making and emotional balance.
Over time, this can lead to—
Warning Signs of Physical Symptoms
You can see that Chronic stress’s impact goes far beyond financial costs—it affects you physically and psychologically, quite often with these key symptoms that are important to recognize...
Warning Signs of Psychological Symptoms
Key Takeaway
"Imaginary Tiger" chronic stress takes a toll on your overall well-being.
It continuously wears on your body and mind, and left unchecked contribute to long-term health issues and diminishing your quality of life.
Because "Imaginary Tiger" symptoms can become familiar and comfortable, they often go unnoticed until their cumulative effects cause serious physical and mental damage.
By understanding these damaging effects—you can see that stress is not merely a financial burden or an inconvenience—it has deep, lasting effects on your physical health and psychological state...and your quality of life.
Recognizing these warning signs is an important step toward addressing and ultimately avoiding the chronic stress that can silently erode your well-being—the sooner, the better.
Likewise, what if we could recognize our common everyday responsibility stressors and stop them from contributing to the true costs of stress in our lives by avoiding being stressed by them in the first place?
That sounds like a great plan to me.
Are you with me?
If so, let's take a look—
Unnoticed Common Responsibility Stressors
Common responsibility stressors
Let's be sure NOT to rule out these responsibility stressors that are so everyday and in our face that we pay no attention to them—other than to be agitated, annoyed, frustrated, hassled, and even stressed by them to the max.
And, we allow it to be okay to be stressed to the max without recognizing how stressed we actually are—it just feels normal—so there's no way to realize the serious damage to our physical and psychological well-being that they are inflicting upon us.
Would you agree?
These unnoticed common responsibility stressors are as follows and this list in no way represents everyone of them—who would even guess that these common daily chores would be stressing us out?
Things like—
Common responsibility stressors
And a few more—
Reflection Exercise
Become aware of your hidden stressors—
Take a moment to reflect on the list above.
Did any of these everyday responsibilities surprise you as potential sources of stress?
If so, check the ones that surprised you.
Have you been unknowingly allowing them to drain your energy and contribute to chronic stress?
Step 1—Identify Your Hidden Stressors
- Review the list again and note which tasks you’ve never considered stressful before.
- Add at least three more everyday responsibilities that often leave you feeling agitated, frustrated, or overwhelmed.
Step 2—Recognize How Stress Builds
For each stressor you identify, ask yourself:
- How do I typically react when doing this task?
- Do I feel rushed, irritated, or mentally exhausted by it?
- What thoughts or habits might be making it feel more stressful than it needs to be?
Write your insights in your Course Journal to start seeing patterns in your daily stressors.
Step 3—Train Your Brain to Avoid Stress Before It Starts
Now, let’s shift gears and explore how you can prevent these tasks from becoming stress triggers in the first place.
Opportunity
Write down at least one new approach you can practice this week to change your response and observe how changing your response impacts your stress levels in your Course Journal.
Change and Stress
Even though change of any kind is often uncomfortable—there’s a scientific reason for that.
The following will explain any possible discomfort you might observe as a result of changing your response—
In 1936, scientist Hans Selye introduced the concept that stress is the body’s non-specific response to any demand for change—whether good or bad.
That is a profound concept since change is all there is—it is always occurring.
While Hans Selye’s classic definition of stress as the body’s response to “any demand for change” has shaped modern understanding, neuroscience now shows us that it’s not the demand itself—it's the brain’s resistance to change—that triggers stress.
The brain seeks safety in the familiar and interprets even positive change as a potential threat.
It's a catch-22—change increases stress and resisting change increases stress.
And yet, here’s the good news—as you continue through this course, you’ll learn how to rewire your brain’s automatic stress responses, build stress avoidance at the root level, and develop something most people never even think about—self-dependent esteem.
That’s the kind of inner stability that isn’t shaken by life’s constant changes.
Change is a catch-22
In the modules ahead, you’ll discover how the brain works, why some people resist change and others don't, and most importantly, how to avoid stress before it even starts—not just cope with it once it shows up.
So let's not wait until you get to the modules ahead to start making change work for you instead of against you.
Let’s get a head start now with some simple techniques that will help you avoid triggering chronic stress when faced with change or perceived threats of change.
Reflection Exercise
Techniques to Avoid Chronic Stress from Your Imaginary Tiger Stressors
When change feels overwhelming or a perceived threat looms large, these simple techniques can have profound effects that help you avoid triggering that chronic stress response:
- Go With the Flow
Instead of resisting change, take a deep breath and let go of the urge to fight against it. Remember: "What you resist, persists" and resisting change often gives it more power in your mind. - Stop Pushing the River Upstream
Accept that change is a natural part of life. By “going with the flow,” you signal your brain that it doesn’t need to activate the chronic stress response. - Find the Good in Change
Even if it feels impossible at first, do your best to identify a positive aspect of the change. For example, if you lose material possessions in a disaster, remind yourself that your life is the most valuable asset. - Positive Self-Talk
Use affirmations like, “I can do this. It’s all good.” Speak these words out loud so that your brain hears them and internalizes a new, positive default response.
Key Takeaway
"What you resist persists" —and usually grows bigger.
Shifting your mindset to accept change diminishes its power over you.
And now, before going any further, I am going to tell you what is considered to be the #1 stressor in our society right now—even though according to neuroscience there is one bigger than this.
Drum roll, please!!!
According to The American Psychological Association (APA), here is the #1 stressor among all people…everywhere!
MONEY is the top cause of stress in the United States.
That's probably no real surprise for many of you.
The APA further states that financial concerns have been the #1 source of stress for the 6th year running!
And without doubt, this #1 stressor could cause both a REAL Tiger and an "IMAGINARY Tiger" "fight-flight-freeze" stress response.
Furthermore—
Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global survey found that a staggering 90% of Americans report that financial considerations impact their stress levels.
Could this possibly be the reason why financial costs related to stress receive the greatest attention over every other true cost of stress?
I think we know the answer to that, right?
The Hidden True Costs of Financial Stress
Long-term financial stress doesn’t just affect your wallet.
True cost of stress
Stress related to finances has been linked to a general feeling of sickness and may take a toll on your physical and mental health, leading to increased blood pressure, upset stomach, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and even chest pain.
Signs of the True Cost of Financial Stress May Include—
Can you relate to any of these?
If so, let's continue to another sneak peak at more neuroscience-based strategies to help you—
Avoid the True Cost of Money-Related Stress
1. Shifting from Fear to Strategy
- Stress Mechanism—Financial uncertainty triggers survival-based fears, activating chronic "fight-flight-freeze" stress responses.
- Application—Rethink financial concerns as solvable rather than overwhelming threats.
- Example—Instead of ruminating on debt, start take little steps wherever possible to create a small, actionable budget adjustment plan and celebrate minor wins like saving $10—or even $1.
2. Practicing Gratitude
- Why It Works—Gratitude shifts focus from scarcity to abundance, reducing stress signals.
- Action—Reflect daily on positive non-monetary assets (e.g., skills, relationships, opportunities).
- Example—Think, “Even though I have financial uncertainties, I am grateful for this course that is teaching me how to retrain my brain to attract financial good to me.”
3. Strengthening a Sense of Control
- Neuroplasticity Strategy—Use affirmations like, “I have the ability to find solutions, even now.”
- Action—Visualize a positive financial future, reinforcing your brain's neural pathways of having plenty of money in your wallet.
- Example—Imagine achieving financial stability while keeping your focus on the small "baby" steps leading there.
And yes! There are true costs from the impact of several other major stressors in our world today...
True Cost of Additional Major Stressors in Today’s World
While financial concerns top the list of stressors for many—today’s world presents additional, interconnected stressors that trigger chronic stress responses—and for some, these are even greater true cost sources of stress.
Let's take a look—
One example is homelessness—a rapidly growing crisis that extends beyond financial instability and into a true cost deep sense of uncertainty, fear, and survival stress.
Another major stressor is the political environment— which can create true cost feelings of division, powerlessness, and constant anxiety due to media overload and global instability.
True cost of uncertainty and survival
So let's take a look at how we can apply neuroplasticity and positive thinking to shift our response from just the true costs of financial stress to include homelessness, political fears, and other overwhelming societal situations?
These stressors, though complex and systemic, can also be approached with neuroscience-driven strategies to avoid stress and maintain calm in uncertain situations.
Let's look at how to apply neuroplasticity to the true costs of homelessness first—
Homelessness—People Without Homes
Maintain Your Calm and Positivity
- Stress Mechanism—Homelessness often creates a true cost sense of hopelessness, amplifying chronic stress responses.
- Application—Teach your brain to recognize even the smallest possibilities for change by focusing on one potential solution...this can lead to others.
- Example—Practice self-talk like, “This is a temporary situation, and not a reflection of who I am. I am taking one small step at a time to improve it.”
Survival
Rethink Your Identity
- Why It Works—The true cost of stress worsens when you internalize your situation as a reflection of your worth.
- Action—Recognize and affirm that your personal value and self-worth is separate from your circumstances.
- Example—Reflect on achievements (big or small) and think, “I am resourceful and capable, even in this situation.” and "I have value with or without a home."
Build Your Mini-Goals
- Neuroplasticity Strategy—Break overwhelming concerns into smaller, bite-size, achievable steps (e.g., gaining support from a friend or relative or even someone who engages in supporting individuals without homes, securing temporary housing, finding job resources).
- Example—Focus on finding one meal, one job lead, or one supportive contact at a time, reinforcing progress.
Political Environment Stressors—The 2024 ELECTION Cycle
Voting booths
Focus on What You Can Influence
- Stress Mechanism—The true cost feeling of powerless in the face of global or political issues triggers chronic stress.
- Application—Direct your mental energy toward areas where you can make a difference—for example—voting, advocacy, community involvement, or simply thinking positive thoughts about the outcomes).
- Example—Replace thoughts like, “The world is out of control,” with “I am part of the solution by taking action where I can and thinking positive thoughts.”
Practice Managing Your News Exposure
- Why It Works—Overexposure to negative news activates the brain’s stress response.
- Action—Set boundaries for news consumption and focus on constructive content.
- Example—Limit daily news intake to 15 minutes (or less) and follow it with an uplifting activity like reading about positive change-makers (or watching a funny/sports program).
- And here's my personal favorite example—Spending time in nature whenever possible helps our ability to shift from fear and stress to calm and inner peace. Take time to even hug a tree and absorb its powerful energy to stay focused on the tree's energy and avoid stress.
Build a Future-Focused Mindset
- Neuroplasticity Strategy—Visualize a better future and reinforce beliefs by thinking positive thoughts about what it will be like.
- Example—Join local initiatives to create positive change and shift your focus from fear to action. If you are not inclined to join local initiatives, create your own way to be a positive change-maker. You could even be a positive change-maker in nature by planting a tree.
General Strategies to Offset the Impact and True Cost of All Stressors
1. Strengthen Your Internal Resources
- Mindfulness—Helps the brain detach from true cost spiraling fears and focus on the present moment. By the way, it may be helpful to you to know that mindfulness in it's basic form is simply thinking about your thinking. I know you can do this with a little bit of practice. Simply consistently ask yourself, "What am I thinking?" You might even surprise yourself.
- Gratitude Practices—Being grateful teaches your brain to notice good things like opportunities instead of obstacles. Focusing on just one opportunity to be grateful for at a time, no matter how big or small, works wonders.
Take your power back
2. Seek Social Support
- Why It Works—Connecting with others provides a sense of safety and shared resources.
- Action—Build a support network, no matter how big or small, of one or more trustworthy friends, mentors, or community groups.
- Example—Attend local meetups or zoom meetings, if you are comfortable doing so, for financial literacy, advocacy, or housing support. Even reaching out to one trusted person can make a difference.
3. Rethink Your Stressful Beliefs
- Neuroplasticity Strategy—Replace true cost limiting beliefs—for example—“I’ll never escape this” with empowering beliefs—for example—“I’ve overcome situations before, and I can do it again.”
- Example—Shift from “The political climate is terrifying” to “I can make a difference in my own way in my own corner of the world.”
4. Engage in Meaningful Action
- Why It Helps—Purposeful activity can begin to retrain your brain to regain control rather than feeling the impact of powerlessness.
- Action—Volunteer, join advocacy groups, or take small, consistent steps toward positive change in your own corner of the world.
- Example—Help distribute meals in a shelter or educate others about voting rights. Or, simply smile at a person you pass on the sidewalk or in the grocery store aisle.
It's all good.
Reflection Exercise
Strengthening Your Stress Avoidance
Before moving forward—take a few moments to reflect on what you’ve just learned about financial, homelessness, and political environment stressors.
These situations can feel overwhelming, however by applying neuroplasticity strategies, rethinking negative thought patterns, and focusing on something positive instead, you can experience calm and avoid stress.
Take a deep breath and consider the following questions:
- Personal Awareness
- Which of these stressors—financial worries, homelessness concerns, or political anxiety—feels most relevant to you or those around you?
- How has the impact of these stressors affected your mindset, emotions, or daily life?
- Shifting Perspectives
- What is one way you can rethink your response to a stressor true cost that feels overwhelming?
- How can you use gratitude, mindfulness (thinking about your thinking), or positive self-talk to shift your focus toward stress avoidance?
- And why not include a little something that is fun for you while you shift your perspective?
- Practice having a great big belly laugh—sometimes, due to stress, we forget to even smile let alone laugh. Both are extremely self-empowering and retraining the brain friendly.
- Action-Oriented Thinking
- What small, meaningful action can you take to strengthen your calm focus in the face of uncertainty?
- How can you use your skills, knowledge, or community connections to make a positive impact—whether in your own life or in the world around you?
Write your responses in your Course Journal.
The goal isn’t to resolve every bit of true cost from stressors all at once, instead it's to recognize your inner power and how you can use it to support your ability to eliminate all true cost and avoid stress as you move forward.
And now we're going deeper and deeper into the Impact and True Cost of Stress—
Workplace Stress and Its True Cost Consequences
Now, as we shift to workplace stress—just as financial struggles, housing instability, and political uncertainties contribute to daily stress, the workplace remains one of the most significant and persistent true cost sources of stress in modern life.
Unlike societal concerns, workplace stress directly impacts daily mental and physical well-being, shaping how individuals function, interact, and see their self-worth.
Workplace stress
Rewire brain neural pathways
Whether it’s high job demands, difficult colleagues, unrealistic expectations, or fear of job loss, workplace stress can have long-term effects on health, productivity, and overall life satisfaction.
Just as we’ve explored how neuroscience and mindset shifts can help reduce financial, housing, and political stress, similar strategies can also be applied to avoid workplace stress entirely—not just manage it.
Let's uncover how workplace stress develops, why it’s so pervasive, and how you can rewire your brain to create a healthier, more sustainable approach to work.
Whether you are an employer or an employee, working part-time or full-time, this is too important to miss—
Workplace stress is a too often overlooked, common form of stress that affects many people.
Recent studies highlight the staggering impact of workplace stress. Nearly half of American and Canadian workers experience it daily, and burnout rates continue to climb across industries.
Beyond mental health, workplace stress also takes a serious toll on physical well-being, contributing to weight gain, strained relationships, and even increased mortality rates.
Who would have thought about these serious tolls on physical health being a true cost of stress?
If you're someone who easily gets bored by research and statistics, that's perfectly fine!
While we include them for those who relish the details, you’re free to skip over them.
You can click here to go immediately to "The Monday Morning Phenomenon" and keep moving forward without missing a beat.
Prevalence of Workplace Stress
According to a February 2023 study by The American Institute of Stress, 83% of U.S. workers experience work-related stress, with 25% identifying their job as the primary stressor in their lives. stress.org
Burnout Rates in the Workplace
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that 52% of employees felt burned out in the past year due to their jobs.
Notably, both experienced employees and managers report higher burnout rates (54%) compared to entry-level employees (40%). stress.org+1nami.org+1stress.org+1
Employee Burnout
Impact on Physical Health
A study by Headspace Health reveals that 77% of employees say work stress has negatively affected their physical health, with 75% reporting weight gain and 71% indicating it has led to the end of personal relationships. organizations.headspace.com
Workplace Stress-Related Mortality
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that workplace stress contributes to approximately 120,000 deaths annually in the United States. osha.gov
Global Economic Impact
Workplace depression and anxiety
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that depression and anxiety, often linked to workplace stress, result in 12 billion lost workdays annually, costing the global economy around $1 trillion. ft.com
This statistic highlights the pervasive nature of the true cost of occupational stress and underscores the importance of addressing how to avoid stress in the workplace, instead of just managing it.
Stress in the workplace can be caused by a variety of factors, including—
And workplace stress is costly to corporate executives, small business owners, and employees alike—
Occupational stress is a global epidemic. according to the United Nations International Labor Organization, stress in the workplace costs $300 billion dollars per year.
Not only can workplace stress can have negative monetary effects on both the employee and the organization, it can lead to other true costs—
With that in mind, what if there was a specific time when workplace stress peaks?
To find out what that specific time is and what you can do to avoid it—